Rotary cutlery carrier



Oct. 13, 1964 Filed Jan. 50, 1963 c. KATZ ETAL 3,152,425

ROTARY CUTLERY CARRIER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORJI ameuss (1972 M/L 7411/ L. Rmaea BY W ra a- 4..

Oct. 13, 1964 c. KATZ ETAL 3,152,425

ROTARY CUTLERY CARRIER Filed Jan. 30, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A 1 L C/% Z IN VEN TORJ.

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oct. 13, 1964 c, T ETAL 3,152,425

ROTARY CUTLERY CARRIER Filed Jan. 30, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS. awe/V55 K5 72 44/1. 7 1E". kvfiee BY 2W #w United States Patent 3,152,425 ROTARY CUTLERY CARRIER Charles Katz, Brooklyn, and Milton E. Ryberg, Staten Island, N .Y., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Jan. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 255,128 Claims. (Cl. 51-164) (Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to an apparatus for use in washing cutlery, and particularly to a device having an element within which various items of cutlery such as knives, forks, spoons, and the like may be placed and caused to tumble while the device is positioned within the wash chamber of an automatic dishwasher.

Public health requires the highest degree of cleanliness in connection with the rendition of nutritional services to large groups of people. However, it is a common occurrence to encounter an inadequately cleaned piece of cutlery such as a knife, fork or spoon during the course of a meal at some mass feeding establishment. These items of cutlery usually become contaminated with grease and decayable remnants after they have been used to either cut, serve, or eat food during the course of a previous meal. It is essential that these items be thoroughly cleaned before they are used again, or else a consumer of a meal who is provided with any of these contaminated implements may be subject to diarrhea and various other physical conditions which could prove dangerous to his health.

There are many methods by which these implements may be cleaned, some of which are time consuming and archaic in nature. In the first instance, the implements may be washed by hand, but this is a slow and tedious process and especially inefiicient where a large group is being catered to. In another instance, the implements may be cleaned through the use of an automatic washer which is designed to handle such items in bulk fashion.

.These machines are usually fast, but the effectiveness of the washing treatment depends to a large extent upon an adequate exposure of the implements to the various cleaning solutions.

Where an automatic machine is used to clean cutlery, a carrier is usually used to support the implements in the wash chamber of the dishwashing machine. It is usual practice to either place the individual pieces of cutlery in an open tray-like carrier or to place them in a container supported in an upright position by a carrier designed for this purpose. Due to the fact that the cutlery, in either case, is stationary during washing, the initial position of the various pieces of cutlery will determine the eifectiveness of the washing procedure. In the former practice, the pieces would have to be placed in the carrier piece by piece in order to insure that the individual implements are not masked or covered by another implement and, therefore, not effectually exposed to the cleaning solution. However, this would not be practical if it were necessary to place the implement in an upright container as in the latter procedure. But, in either case, if the implements are not separated in the manner set forth, there is .a likelihood that some of the implements will not be adequately cleaned, thereby necessitating a piece by piece inspection to insure cleanliness and this can be a time consuming procedure. Even with very careful placement, the juxtaposition of implements limits undesirably the exposure of their entire surface areas to the cleansing actions.

We have invented an apparatus in the form of a car rier for use in washing cutlery in bulk which will impart a motion to the soiled items as they are subjected to washing in an automatic dishwashing machine. In this way, a larger surface area on each of the individually soiled items is presented to the cleaning and rinsing solutions during the wash cycle. When the present apparatus is used to wash cutlery, it is not required to prearrange the individual items prior to the washing operation, nor is a post inspection of the individual items needed to insure cleanliness, because each and every item of cutlery in the wash chamber is thoroughly cleaned in one operation. As a result, a large number of individual items of cutlery may be effectively cleaned in one fast and eflicient operation through the use of the present apparatus.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an apparatus in the form of a carrier of improved construction for use in cleaning various items of cutlery effectively and efficiently in one operation.

Another object is to provide an apparatus in the form of a carrier of improved construction for use with an automatic dishwashing machine in the cleaning of various items of cutlery.

A further object is to provide an apparatus in the form of a cutlery carrier of low fabrication and maintenance costs, light weight, high durability and facile in use under a wide variety of service conditions.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cutlery carrier showing a preferred embodiment of the subject apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the carrier set forth in FIG. 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In general, this apparatus comprises a base upon which is mounted two rigid upright support members having a perforated cylinder carried therebetween within which various items of cutlery such as knives, forks, spoons, and the like may be placed and caused to tumble by means of a one-way drive mechanism when the apparatus is placed within the wash chamber of an automatic dishwasher.

More particularly, the apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, is provided with a mounting section consisting of a plurality of frame elements 11, 12, 13, and 14 secured together in the form of a rectangular base 15 upon which is mounted, in spaced relationship two aligned support elements 16, 17. A perforated cylinder 18 is carried transversely between the two supports 16, 17 by means of terminal shafts 19, 21 each of which is journaled in one of the mountings 22, 23 on the upper surface of the support members 16, 17. Motion is imparted to the cylinder through an energizing mechanism 24 composed of an arm 25, an engaging pin 26, and a one-way rotatable wheel 27 having an angularly grooved circular surface 28.

As shown in FIG. 2, the arm 25, which is in the form of a lever, is journaled on terminal shaft 19 in adjacent relationship to the one-way rotatable wheel or ratchet 27 which is also mounted on the same shaft. The lever arm 25 is provided with an engaging pin or pawl 26 which operatively engages the ratchet wheel 27 on the upswing of the lever arm 25 as shown in FIG. 3. As a result, the terminal axle l9 and cylinder 18 whose end plate 28 is secured to the terminal axle 19 are rotated in the corresponding direction, the degree of rotation of the cylinder depenidng on the magnitude of the upswing of the arm 25. When the upswing is complete, the weight of the arm 25 will force it to return to the initial operating position as shown in FIG. 2. During the downward swing or return of the arm 25, the pawl 26 will become disengaged from the angularly grooved or toothed surface of the circular wheel 28 and the cylinder 18 will rest in position on terminal shafts 19, 21.

The energizing mechanism 24 which rotates the cylinder 18 through a one-way cycle may be activated by means of a vertically reciprocating horizontal bar 29, the latter bar being reciprocated through a vertical cycle by means of a motor driven cam 31. This type of mechanism may be simply installed within the wash chamber of an automatic dishwasher. As shown in FIG. 4, as the supporting cam 31 is driven through one revolution, the horizontal bar 29, which rests on the surface of the cam, will vertically progress through an upward and downward cycle on pivot arms 32, 33 mounted on the back rail of a dishwasher. As the bar 29 progresses upwardly, it will engage handle 34 of the lever arm 25 which will be pivoted in an upwardly direction on shaft 19. On the downward movement of bar 29, the handle 34 will simply rest on the upper surface of the bar 29 and the arm 25 will be allowed to progressively return to its initial position. In this manner, the utensils within the cylinder are caused to tumble and the entire surface of each of the utensils is exposed to the cleansing and rinsing solutions utilized in the washing operation. After the washing operation is completed, the utensils may be simply removed from the apparatus through a hatch in the side of the cylinder and the apparatus may be allowed to remain in place in the wash chamber or the entire apparatus may be moved out of the chamber along the delivery counter to a more suitable area for the unloading of the cylinder.

It is apparent from the foregoing description and drawings that we have invented an improved apparatus for use in washing cutlery. Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art in view of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that the invention as set forth in the appended claims may be practiced otherwise than as described.

We claim:

1. In an automatic dishwasher having a vertically reciprocating horizontal bar the combination with said horizontal bar of a cutlery carrier having a base;

a plurality of aligned support members mounted in spaced relationshipon said base;

a shaft rotatably journaled between said support members;

a perforated hollow cylinder of closed end construction mounted on said shaft; and

means mounted on said shaft and actuated by said bar for effecting one-way rotation of said cylinder.

2. In an automatic dishwasher having a vertically reciprocating horizontal bar the combination with said horizontal bar of a cultery carrier having dual aligned frame members;

dual aligned support members transversely mounted in spaced relationship between said frame members;

a shaft rotatably journaled between said support members;

a perforated cylinder mounted on said shaft; and

means mounted on said shaft and actuated by said bar for effecting one-way rotation of said cylinder.

3. In an automatic dishwasher having a vertically reciprocating horizontal bar the combination with said horizontal bar of a cutlery carrier having a base,

a pair of parallel support members mounted in spaced relationship on said base,

a perforated cylinder whose extremital ends are each provided with an axial shaft,

each of said shafts journaled on one of said supports a one-way gear sceured on one of said shafts,

a lever arm loosely journaled on said shaft in adjacent relationship to said gear, and

an engaging means mounted on said lever arm for engagement with said one-way gear,

said lever arm actuated by said bar to move said one-way gear through said engaging means and said one-way gear in sequence imparting rotation to said cylinder through said shaft.

4. In an automatic dishwasher having a vertically reciprocating horizontal bar the combination with said horizontal bar of a cutlery carrier having a base;

dual aligned support members mounted in spaced relationship on said base;

a perforated cylinder whose extremital ends are each provided with an axial shaft,

each of said shafts journaled on one of said supports;

a ratchet wheel secured on one of said shafts;

a reciprocating lever loosely journaled on said shaft in adjacent relationship to said ratchet wheel;

and a pawl mounted on said lever and operatively engaging said ratchet wheel;

said bar actuating said lever to move said said ratchet wheel through said pawl,

said ratchet wheel in sequence imparting rotation to said cylinder through said shaft.

5. An apparatus for use in tumbling cutlery when positioned in the wash zone of an automatic dishwasher having a vertically reciprocating horizontal bar, said apparatus comprising:

a pair of aligned frame members;

a pair of aligned support members transversely mounted in spaced relationship between said frame members;

a perforated hollow cylinder of closed end construction,

a plurality of axial shafts, each of which is mounted on one end of said cylinder,

each of said shafts being journaled in one of said journal boxes;

a ratchet wheel having teeth, said wheel being secured on one of said shafts;

a lever arm loosely journalled on said shaft adjacent to said wheel and contacting said vertical reciprocating bar for movement therewith engaging means mounted on said lever arm for engagement with the teeth of said ratchet wheel,

whereby said lever arm, with said vertically reciprocating bar, imparts one-Way rotation to said wheel through said engaging means, said wheel in sequence imparting rotation to said cylinder through said shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 375,291 Hildbrand Dec. 20, 1887 902,862 Danenhower Nov. 3, 1908 2,053,912 Manley Sept. 8, 1936 

1. IN A AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER HAVING A VERTICALLY RECIPROCATING HORIZONTAL BAR THE COMBINATION WITH SAID HORIZONTAL BAR OF A CUTLERY CARRIER HAVING A BASE; A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED SUPPORT MEMBERS MOUNTED IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP ON SAID BASE; A SHAFT ROTATABLY JOURNALED BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS; A PERFORATED HOLLOW CYLINDER OF CLOSED END CONSTRUCTION MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT; AND MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT AND ACTUATED BY SAID BAR FOR EFFECTING ONE-WAY ROTATION OF SAID CYLINDER. 